Let’s rip the Band-Aid off. Your business’s values? Your audience doesn’t care about them.
Insert awkward silence here.
Not really. Not in the way you probably think they do.
Before jumping to conclusions, let me assure you I’m not saying values aren’t important. I’m saying the way we communicate them usually misses the mark.
The Problem with “Company Values” as We Know Them
Somewhere along the way, we all got the same corporate memo: “Create a list of values and slap them on the About page and in our Annual Report.”
And so now, every website says the same thing:
✨ Integrity
✨ Innovation
✨ Teamwork
✨ [Insert generic buzzword here]
You know what that tells your customer? Absolutely nothing.
It’s not that those things aren’t valuable. It’s that they don’t actually differentiate you, and they’re probably not demonstrated in a meaningful way anywhere else in your business.
It’s like claiming “we’re passionate about excellence” while posting blurry graphics in five different fonts on Instagram. Honey… the math ain’t mathing.
What Customers Actually Care About?
People want to know:
- Do you get me?
- Can I trust you?
- Are you good at what you do?
- Will you make my life better, easier, or more meaningful?
If your brand isn’t making people feel something (confidence, clarity, belonging, relief, etc.) then your values aren’t resonating.
They might be featured on a poster in the break room. But they’re not in your design. Not in your messaging. Not in your customer experience.
If you want your values to matter, they have to be more than words. They have to become actions, decisions, and design.
Here’s how you do that:
1. Ditch the List. Tell a Story Instead.
Instead of a bulleted list of generic traits, tell a short story about your origin or process that shows how you work and why.
Example: “We believe good design is inclusive design. That’s why every website we build follows ADA guidelines – and why we advocate for accessible branding in every client conversation.”
That’s an inclusivity value in context and action.
2. Make Your Values Visible
If you claim to believe in creativity, but all your work looks like it came from a dusty stock photo folder, there’s a disconnect.
Let your values shape:
- The tone of your voice
- The way your team responds to comments
- The way your brand shows care toward people
People believe what they see and feel, not what you tell them to believe.
3. Turn Values Into Filters
Your values should act like a decision-making flow chart. Before launching a campaign, building a brand, or approving content, ask: “Does this reflect what we say we care about?”
That filter creates consistency. And consistency builds trust.
4. Stop Trying to Sound Like Everyone Else
Originality is underrated in the business world. Search Amazon for a product and you’ll see countless options for basically the same thing. You’re allowed to be bold. You’re allowed to be weird. You’re allowed to say something honest and human like: “We value curiosity. We ask a lot of questions. Sometimes, too many. But it’s how we make really good shit for our clients.”
Way more memorable than “excellence and innovation,” right?
5. If You Can’t Live It Internally, Don’t List It Externally
Let’s say your brand claims to value empathy, but your internal culture burns people out, ignores feedback, or treats team members like cogs in a machine. That dissonance will seep out through your customer service, social media posts, and hiring practices. Your customers may not be able to name what feels off, but they’ll sense it. And they’ll see the reviews on Glassdoor.
Branding is alignment.
If you want your values to resonate externally, they have to be true internally.
TL;DR?
Your values shouldn’t live on your About page.
They should live in your brand, your actions, and your aesthetic. (And maybe on a poster in your break room.)
Because when you show what you stand for, your customers don’t need to read a list. They can feel it.
And that? That’s what makes a brand valuable.
Need help translating your values into visuals and voice?
That’s what I do. I help good brands get clear, aligned, and (frankly) irresistible.
Book a G.R.O.W. Strategy Session
Or, just shoot me a message and let’s talk shop.